Everlasting Memories (Pokémon Hugh X Rosa)

Memories of the Plasma Frigate

  Nate slaps Hugh on the arm. Hard.

"Ouch!" Hugh rubs his arm furiously. He hates Nate right now, but he knows he deserved that.

"You. Dick." Nate hisses. If he were a Pokémon, he would be using Mean Look right now.

Hugh wishes he had a sharp retort for that, but all he can do is nod sadly.

"I know," he mutters.

"How could you do that to her?" Nate runs his hand through his palm-tree like hair. "It wasn't her fault. You just don't realize how awful she felt! She's had those feelings for a while now, just like you have! She's tried to use every chance she got to spend time with you. And you? You reject her advances like the cold-hearted Klang you are. Too busy to see her. Every time you two get together, it's just another lie in your relationship. It's all a game to you, isn't it?"

Hugh is silent. Something tells him Nate isn't talking about Rosa anymore.

"ISN'T IT?" screams Nate.

"Calm down!" Hugh replies, panicked. Their next opponents are the Subway Bosses at the end of their 21-win streak, and Hugh doesn't want them to think that Nate isn't stable. Even though he probably isn't.

But Nate's words have got him thinking. Now that he looks back on it, abandoning Rosa after their first kiss wasn't the worst thing he did to her. What would Nate say if he heard what happened next?

"I just hope Team Plasma was worth it," says Nate cattily.

Hugh sighs.

"You're right," he says. "I'm a terrible person. I deserved that. I've been awful to her. If I could go back in time and undo what I've done, I totally would. In a heartbeat."

Nate is silent.

Hugh gives a bitter smile. "You just don't know how right you are," he says.

Two months ago

Hugh paced angrily on the shore. The Plasma Frigate was anchored just before him on Route 21. He couldn't believe it. After searching for so long...his target was right before his eyes.

After the fiasco that was his and Rosa's sort-of date in Undella Town, Hugh hadn't spoken to her much. His first task was to find the Lillipup that Team Plasma had stolen from the little boy in Undella. He hadn't succeeded, however; all his leads were dead-ends. He had run into Rosa in Lacunosa Town and together they fought Zinzolin of the Seven Sages and a grunt. (It seemed like Team Plasma followed her everywhere she went).

She had called him plenty of times during the two months between the kiss and now; sometimes he answered, usually he didn't. She kept saying she wanted to talk to him, but he didn't want to talk to her at all. They caught up again in Humilau City, where they both received their eighth badge. Hugh continued to avoid her. It had taken Team Plasma's reappearance in Undella Town to convince him that she was nothing more than a distraction – and he was very distracted. He decided he was going to spend the rest of his journey focusing on Team Plasma. Screw Rosa. He couldn't love her. There were more important things to worry about.

Rosa had found the Plasma Frigate and had immediately summoned him there. Of course, being the jerk that he was, he continued ignoring her. He was starting to feel guilty for his behavior, but his ego wouldn't let him stop. She told him she was going to heal her Pokémon and be right back, so he waited. He was tempted to break into the Frigate and finish them off himself, but he knew that would be stupid. There was no telling how many grunts were in there, or how strong they were.

"I'm back," said Rosa, emerging from the Seaside Cave. She smiled at him but he looked away.

"Let's go," He nodded at the Frigate.